Archdiocesan Assembly

WELCOME

The 2023-2024 Perth Archdiocesan Assembly is the first of its kind for our Archdiocese.

Announced by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB in April 2023, it was launched on Trinity Sunday 4 June 2023 at St Mary’s Cathedral.

The Assembly will be held on 13 July 2024 with a day of formation being held on the 23 September 2023 in preparation for the Assembly.

It will focus primarily on the establishment of a Diocesan Pastoral Council (DPC) and how a DPC can reflect the process of synodality asked for by Pope Francis. This will enable us to address one of the final decrees of the Fifth Plenary Council of the Catholic Church in Australia.

Delegates were called from across the Archdiocese including priests, deacons, parishioners, representatives from Catholic Religious Western Australia and nominees from the many organisations and agencies involved in the work of the Church in Perth.

I wish to express my gratitude to the many parishes, zones of priests, agencies and other groups in the archdiocese who have engaged in the selection of delegates. Your engagement is greatly appreciated by the Archbishop and the Diocesan Assembly Reference Group.

I ask that within your agency you pray for all attending the Assembly in 2024.

A Perth Archdiocesan Assembly Prayer has been written. It is an adaptation of the Archdiocesan Prayer written by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB a number of years ago. This prayer has been placed on prayer cards and printed copies have been disseminated across the Archdiocese.

Once again, thank you to all who have entered into this time within our archdiocese of Journeying Together Led by the Spirit.

In Christ Jesus

Very Rev Fr Vincent Glynn EV
Episcopal Vicar for Education and Faith Formation

INTRODUCTION

Archbishop Costelloe Pastoral Letter

11 April 2023

“While we are still awaiting from the Holy See the formal acceptance of the decrees of the Plenary Council, we can already begin to take steps to prepare ourselves for the important task of implementing the outcomes of the Plenary Council in our Archdiocese.

In view of this I am, with this letter, formally announcing that I am convening a Diocesan Assembly in order to consider the re-establishment of a Diocesan Pastoral Council.

Diocesan Pastoral Councils, though not mandated by the law of the Church, were very highly recommended by the Second Vatican Council. Under the leadership of Archbishops Goody and Foley, Perth did have a Diocesan Pastoral Council for some years, but it was discontinued in the late nineties. Our recent Plenary Council has called for the establishment or re-establishment of such Councils in every diocese, and I believe it is appropriate for us to decide whether or not the time is now right to make such a move. It is also important to clarify why such a body might be necessary and how it should operate. The Church’s law and traditions do give some indications and establish some parameters. Within these, however, we have ample scope for shaping such a body according to our local needs. At the same time, in response to the call of Pope Francis for a more synodal Church, we might ask ourselves what a Diocesan Pastoral Council might look like it if it is a truly synodal body. These are the questions I will ask the Diocesan Assembly to consider.

Some practical decisions have already been made. The Assembly will take place on Saturday 23 September and will be held at Newman College in Churchlands. Mr Tony Giglia, who co-ordinated our engagement with both the Plenary Council and with the consultations for the forthcoming Synod, has been appointed as the Co-Ordinator of the Assembly. Tony will soon be communicating the process for selecting the delegates to the Assembly to parishes and other Church communities and agencies. The delegates will come from all areas of the life of the Archdiocese. Tony will also be responsible for preparing resources for the formation of delegates and for devising the methodology to be used during the Assembly. 

The convening of this Diocesan Assembly is a relatively modest initiative, but it is designed to set a pattern for ongoing consultation and discernment which I hope will become a permanent feature of the life of our Archdiocese in the future. We must continue together along the path of becoming “a synodal Church (which) is a listening Church, aware that listening is more than hearing. It is a reciprocal listening in which everyone has something to learn”.

Yours Sincerely in Christ,

+Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB
Archbishop of Perth

Download the Pastoral Letter

THE ARCHDIOCESAN ASSEMBLY PRAYER

Gracious God, You have blessed our archdiocese with many gifts, and you call us to share those gifts with others. We thank you for this call and commit ourselves anew to responding with courage and generosity. In this time of challenge and hope for the Church, you invite us to start afresh from Christ your Son and to contemplate his face so that we might recognise him in others. As we enter the preparation, formation and experience of our Diocesan Assembly, may we experience a new wave of grace as we journey together led by the Spirit. Bless our Diocesan Assembly Delegates, attune their hearts and minds to the presence of your Holy Spirit in all their listening and discernment. May all be open to the voice and guidance of the Holy Spirit that our Church may be transformed, our archdiocese be a sign to the world of your presence with us, our relationships be healed, and our nation grow in compassion and justice. With the intercession of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, who showed us new ways of living the Gospel, we make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen. Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us.

THE ARCHDIOCESAN ASSEMBLY LOGO

The Perth Archdiocesan Assembly logo uses the colours found on the crest of the Archdiocese of Perth: gold, red, and blue. The following describes the graphical elements and their symbolisms:

• The golden sun represents Western Australia and a new dawn - an important and promising turning point for the Archdiocese of Perth.
• The second circle in white represents the Eucharist, which is at the heart of our Catholic faith, focusing our attention on the goal of Christ’s return.
• The image of the Cross reminds us of the sacrifice of Christ and His redeeming love for all.
• The image of the flames representing the Holy Spirit is red in colour to convey confidence. The fluidity found in the imagery shows movement and forwardness.

FORMATION DAY - 23 September 2023

		Archbishop Costelloe Speech What is a Diocesan Assembly, Synodality and Recommendations of a DPC I am going to be basically talking about synodality, Diocesan Pastoral Council, and all those kinds of things. It is really meant to be described as a keynote address; I would prefer to think of it as a kind of an introduction to all of the good things that are going to be part of our time here today.
		Very Rev Fr Vincent Glynn Synodality and Listening & Discernment I want to speak about this listening and discernment process, because by now you should have gathered that, this really is the core of what we are doing, that we are gathering as a local church, this year in this formation process, to listen and discern . . .
		Dr Carmel Suart Diocesan Pastoral Councils & Canon Law For us to take our task of establishing a Diocesan Pastoral Council in a synodal way, understanding the role and function of such a council is crucial.

LAUNCH OF THE ARCHDIOCESAN ASSEMBLY

RESOURCES

Interview with Fr Eamonn Conway – Listening and Discernment

Interview with Fr Eamonn Conway – Synodality and What is a Diocesan Pastoral

Synodality with Rev Fr Orm Rush